Vrindarwen-Agra
We hop on a local bus to Agra- which is full of Indian men- we are the only females. Once again they are all staring at us like we are aliens but the ride is only an hour, so no worries.We have our 2 backpacks on our knees and are breathing in dust,dirt and are hot and bothered.We arrive in Agra 2 hours later and find our accom really easy for once! We are master map readers now!
Our room is freezing cold so we get a quick cold shower and head into Agra. An 11k walk covering up in our long sleeves, shawl and trousers in the sweltering heat to a watch the sunset over the Taj is rewarding, followed by a cup of chai and a birri! We have both started smoking again-only light tobacco wrapped in leaves-but still we are somking which I'm annoyed about but its just to ease the stresses of the day and I will definately pack up a month before I leave here to finish my trip,plus we are only smoking 2 -3 a day.We eat some of our favourite deep fried samosas and chilli sauce and head to the train station for our 8 hr train journey to Khajuraho.We are still hungry and are sick of deep fried shit and then I see it! A man boiling eggs!YES!BOILED! Not fried!!! I get 2 boiled eggs,but no, too good to be true.He takes off the shell and puts the boiled eggs in oil.He is now frying the BOILED eggs.Chilli,garlic and onion are added and ok, its good but I really did just want boiled eggs.Its funny all the food on the street is delicious but we dont know the name to any of it or what most of it actually is!
The train is sleeper class so we have a bed, so Im thinking it is going to be comfortable.The trains here are not like Thailand.Pity! Oh no... there are 6 beds in 1 cabin.Me, sorcha and 4 indian men who like to snore, turn the light on regulary and talk loud at 3 in the morning.The bed is a slab of wood and our 2 bags on our bed leave us with little room to move- and did I mention it's feezing?!hahha After 8 hours of tossing and turning the train arrives and we find a cheap guest house to get some rest before seeing the sights.
I NEED TO SAY SOMETHING...All these negative comments look like we are not enjoying it! I'm just writing it how it is.Sally (sorcha's mum)asked me are we actually having fun?haha. Well, we are but a different kind of fun we would be having at home.It is fun,weird,exciting,scary ,annoying,intimidating, all in a fun kind of way. Thailand is FUN. All the time you see pretty things,meet nice thai people,eat nice thai food and it is Fun with a capital F. Here we have only seen a few pretty places, everybody wants to rip us off, the food is nice and it is fun but not with a capital F? If you get me?! hahah
Khajuraho is where the kama sutra carvings are and some of the worlds finest temples. We meet a young indian dude who tells us he will take us out on his motorbike with his friend and show us his local town and surrounding areas for just the cost of some fuel.Agreed, but still thinking there must be a catch(nothing is for free with an indian) the 3 of us jump on his bike to meet with his friend who's bike I will be on. You know what,you can't write it. My guy turns up,Indian lad, age 24, name Borat, wearing a tshirt saying 'SEX INSTRUCTOR,1ST LESSON FREE' with a black and red motorbike wih playboy stickers all over it hahahah funny shit. We head off at full throttle ino the hills on the back of the bikes. The countryside is so pretty, there are fields of yellow mustard flowers, fields of green beans with huge mountains in the background.We stop at a little straw hut in he feild and sit down to have a charras. My stomach is in bulk and I have terrible pains....the fried boiled eggs are guilty I think....
We head off and they take us to a dam to watch the sunset.It's beautiful.These guys are really nice and the new story is when we meet indian guys.I am sorcha's sister in law and our partners are in Goa doing yoga-one can only dream...hahha The minute you say you are single that's it you are harrassed,married off and given some of the best chat up lines... My driver informs me he is a 'player' and has had many girls from different countries and respects I have a boyfreind in Goa hahha.. Sorchas driver really is a true gentleman and is very sweet, he does not drink or smoke where as my driver is a rebel.
Head back to the room as Im feeling dodgy and sorcha's sweet driver gets me a coke bottle filled with hot water for my upset stomach which actually cures me!
Head off on our next train journey of 11 hours to Varanasi wishing we had not booked our train tickets so soon.Another few nights here would have been great. This journey was nowhere near as bad as the first.We slept about 10 hours and after a few wrong turns and a hot sweaty journey in a moto we are at our dormitory accomodation. We booked a dorm in order to meet people BUT suprise, suprise we are the only people in the room haha.It's once again cold BUT we have bought blankets and the hot water as described is not hot.
In Varanasi there is a holy river called the Ganges. Hundereds of people are cremated on huge wood fires along the banks of the river every day and the poor people who cant afford the wood just put the dead bodie sin there to float away.Millions of pilgrims flock here to bathe, wash and swim in this holy water. Me and sorcha were going to be 'one of those pilgrims' until we seen the shit,rubbish,dead bodies,dogs,cows and sewage in the river.
We sat and watched many corpses being carried down to the river.The bodies are wrapped in cloth,others are just naked and hey dip them in the river,let them dry out on the side then put them on the bonfire to burn.It was eerie and we cried when we seen an old man preparing his wife to be bunrt.He was crying and had to be carried away by his sons..we left the river shortly after this as it was a bit depressing.
Every night alongside the river is a huge dance and music show to celebrate the dead that have been cremated that day. Rose petals and candles float down ther river,hundreds of wooden boats full of people fill the river,fire,music,dancing,babas,thousands of clapping people, right lights and smoke from the incense sticks fill the air.It was magical.
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